Malibu City Councilmember Jefferson Wagner, who must pay rent to the State as the Pier's concession rights licensee, blames bad foot traffic and shows concern for the pier's current state in saying, "There is going to be a troubled three to four months ahead while we figure out which direction we'll go with the restaurants.” One positive development has Wagner pitching Franco Simplicio, who owns Moonshadows and The Sunset, and has shown some degree of interest in the space, which still has a valuable liquor license in place.